Water-closet construction

ABSTRACT

The bowl of a water closet is flushed by means of an auxiliary jet of water which is introduced into the drain pipe at the outlet of the bowl.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,843,978 Ragot Oct. 29, 1974 [54] WATER-CLOSET CONSTRUCTION 1,142,092 6/1915 Haas 4/73 x [76] Inventor: Claude Ragot, Place du 11 Novembfe 56, Locmine, France 119731349 9/1934 Kruse 4/73 g 27 327L793 McMurtrie et al. 4/68 X [21] W 7 MM Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis [52] U.S. Cl 4/73, 4/89, 4795, ABSTRACT 4/DIG. 3 The bowl of a water closet is flushed by means of an [51] Int. Cl E03d 11/02, E03d 11/18 auxiliary jet of water which is introduced into the [58] Field of Search 4/73, 42, 44, 47, 52, 68, drain pipe at the outlet of the bowl.

4/7l,.69, 70, 75-77, 79, 87, 90, 100, DIG. 3

[56] References Cited 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS PAT ENTEU 0m 29 I974 SHEU 1 OF 3 PATENTEHHBI 29 1974 SHEET 2 [IF 3* PATENTEBUBT 29 1974 i saw 3 OF 3 WATER-CLOSET CONSTRUCTION The present invention relates to improvements in toilets.

Conventional toilets comprise a bowl or pan whose upper part forms the seat and the bottom part of which terminates in an S-bend or trap, the bowl being associated with a water cistern from which a quantity of water is emptied into said bowl in order to flush and evacuate same.

The cisterns used in the conventional flushing systems are fairly complex in construction; their elements, constantly maintained in a damp atmosphere, are exposed to corrosion and their poor functioning is a source of annoyance to the user.

The present invention intends to remedy these drawbacks, and has for object a toilet which is constituted of a bowl forming a seat, and an evacuation device, not requiring a water cistern nor a flushing device.

To this end, the invention relates to a toilet comprising a bowl whose bottom is associated with an evacuation pipe, wherein the said evacuation pipe extending the bottom of the pan comprises an upwardly raised part enabling a reserve of water to be maintained in the bottom of the bowl, this reserve being sufficient to ensure the evacuation of the waste matter without more water having to be added, the whole comprising, in the transition zone between the bottom of the bowl and evacuation pipe, evacuation means suitable for provoking the movement of the water contained in the bowl towards the downstream evacuation pipe, the bowl comprising a water inlet connected to the main water pipe, this water inlet comprising a first closure valve, the bowl further comprising a device for detecting the level of the water in the bowl, this detecting device being associated with said first closure valve controlling the admission of fresh water into the bowl, so that, if the level of water in the bowl is lower than a determined level, the detecting device controls the supply of water to the bowl, this supply being stopped as soon as the level of water in the bowl has reached the predetermined maximum value. For instance said first valve is a first electrovalve.

According to a first, preferred embodiment, the bottom of the bowl is associated with a rear S-bend or trap located at the top of a upwardly raised part of the evacuation pipe, the lower level of the trap being sufficiently high to enable a reserve of water to be maintained in the bowl, the water evacuation means are constituted by a nozzle adapted to discharge a certain amount of additional water, disposed at the base of the upward part of the evacuation pipe between the bottom of the bowl and the trap, this nozzle being adapted to direct a jet of water substantially in the axis of said upward pipe and downstream, the addition of water within the said upward pipe being suitable to initiate the siphon phenomenon of the trap and to provoke the complete evacuation of the reserve of water contained in the bowl.

According to another characteristic of this embodiment, the nozzle for provoking a jet of water within the upward pipe located before the S-bend or trap is connected to the main water pipe with the interposition of a second valve operated by the user.

According to another characteristic, the valve interposed in the supply pipe of the nozzle starting the siphon phenomenon is a second electrovalve subjected to the action of a control member actuated by the user.

For example, the control member is a push-button associated with a contactor which operates the second electrovalve and thus enables the nozzle to be fed with running water.

According to a further characteristic, the member for detecting the level of water in the bowl is constituted by a column communicating by its base with the bottom of the bowl, the liquid contained in the bowl thus being placed in communication with the liquid penetrating in said column, the upper part of this column being closed and comprising a manostat sensitive to the changes in pressure produced in the gaseous phase located in the upper part of the column further to the drop or rise in the level of water in this latter.

For example, the manostat comprises an electrical relay and the first valve controlling the admission of water renewing the reserve in the bowl is a first electrovalve whose action is controlled by the relay associated with the manostat located at the top of the detection column, the drop in pressure in the detection column corresponding to the drop in the level of water controlling the opening of this first electrovalve to allow the water to be discharged at the top of the bowl, the rise in pressure detected by the manostat at a determined value further to the rise of water in the detection column being capable of initiating the actuation of said first electrovalve and of ensuring the closure of this latter thus stopping the supply of water to the bowl.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the bowl comprises an auxiliary water inlet opening out slightly below the level of the water in reserve in the bowl, this auxiliary water inlet opening into the bowl in a substantially tangential direction, initiates a peripheral stream along the inside wall of said bowl and provoking an eddying movement which facilitates the evacuation of the waste matter suspended in the water.

For example, this auxiliary water inlet is connected to the water supply pipe by means of a third electrovalve, this latter being coupled to the second electrovalve controlling the functioning of the nozzle for starting the siphon phenomenon, these two second and third electrovalves being subjected to the action of a contactor at the users disposal.

For example, the contactor is constituted of a pushbutton disposed in the rear of the seat and said contactor when put in active position by the pressure exerted on the push-button by the user controls the closure of the circuit of the second an third electrovalves thus controlling the feed of the nozzle starting the siphon phenomenon and of the auxiliary water admission within the bowl.

According to a variant, the invention also relates to a toilet of the type comprising in the bottom of the bowl and upstream of the evacuation .pipe, a grinding means for reducing the suspended waste matter in the water to the fluid state and for evacuating the mixture through a downstream pipe, the grinder being actuated by an electric motor by a time-switch device actuated by the user.

The invention will be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.

manent reserve of water 2. To this end, the water evacuation device comprises an upwardly raised part 3 whose base 4 communicates with the bottom 5 of the bowl, said vertical pipe 3 being sufficiently high to permit a reserve of water 2 to be maintained in the bowl; the lower level 6' of the siphon 6 is so at a sufficient height for allowing the reserve water 2 to be kept in the bowl 1.

Water is supplied to the bowl 1 through pipe 14 opening out at in an annular channel 16 passing round the upper edge of the bowl, ensuring that the water passes over the whole periphery of the wall of said bowl.

The filling of the fresh water renewing the reserve in the bowl is controled by the first electrovalve 17, the actuation of which will be explained hereafter.

After the toilet has been used, the reserve of water 2 must be evacuated; to this end the nozzle 8 ejects an additional quantity of water forming a jet rising in the pipe 3 in the direction of arrow F. The addition of water coming from the nozzle 8 causes the liquid to rise in the pipe 3 and the siphon phenomenon to be initiated; all the mass of water contained in the bowl and constituting the reserve 2 is evacuated very rapidly, the water being discharged in the downstream pipe beyond the siphon until the water of the reserve has been completely evacuated.

The nozzle 8 ejecting the additional water is actuated by the user acting on the push-button 10; this latter closes the electrical feed circuit of the second electrovalve 11 and controls the connection of the pipe 12, which opens out at the level of the nozzle 8, to the general water supply circuit 13.

The first electrovalve 17 is subjected to the action of a detection device constituted by the column 18 connected at its base with the bottom of the bowl and surmonted at its top by a manostat l9 sensitive to the pressure prevailing in the gaseous phase at the summit of the column 18.

When the bowl empties, the level in column 18 drops and the pressure in the gaseous phase 20 reduces; this drop in pressure detected by the manostat actuates a relay which closes the electrical feed circuit of the first electrovalve 17, this latter opens and allows passage of the water from the general water supply pipe 13 up to the pipe 14 and to the filling groove 15.

After the siphon phenomenon has terminated, the water arriving from the pipe 14 accumulates in the bowl and reaches the determined level, this threshold is detected by the increase of pressure at 20 and the manostat opens the feed circuit of the first electrovalve 17 by means of a relay, thus ensuring the closure of said first electrovalve and the stopping of the water supply in the bowl, where the reserve 2 is reconstituted.

According to the variant of HO. 3, the evacuation device is constituted by the rotary grinding means 30 with blades 31. The grinder is subjected to the action of a time-switch 32 triggered by the push-button 10. The evacuation of the water from the bowl causes the pressure in the column 18 to drop and, by the manostat 19, determines the supply of water through opening the electrovalve 17; when the time switch 32 causes the stopping of the grinder the water is no longer evacuated and accumulates in the bowl up to the level where the pressure in 18 detected by the manostat 19 causes the closure of the valve between feed pipe and the bowl What I claim is:

l. A toilet comprising a bowl an evacuation pipe associated with said bowl, said evacuation pipe comprising an upwardly raised part enabling a reserve of water to be maintained in said bowl, the reserve being sufficient to ensure the evacuation of the waste matter without more water having to be added,

evacuation means situated in the transition zone between the bottom of the bowl and the evacuation pipe, said evacuation means being adapted to cause the reserve of water and the waste matter to be discharged towards the evacuation pipe,

control member likely to be actuated by the user and adapted to control the action of said evacuation means,

water inlet adapted to discharge fresh water into said bowl closure valve associated with said water inlet detection means adapted to check the level of the water into said bowl and remote control means interconnecting said detection means and said closure valve and adapted to command the flow of fresh water through said closure valve as long as the level of the water into said bowl is under a predetermined height.

2. A toilet according to claim 1 wherein it comprises further a column the base of which is in communication with the bottom of the bowl, the liquid contained in the bowl thus being placed in communication with the liquid penetrating in said column,

a manostat placed at the upper part of said column, said manostat being sensitive to the changes in pressure produced in the gaseous phase located in the upper part of the column further to the drop or rise in the level of water in this latter,

an electrical relay associated with said manostat,

a first electrovalve forming said closure valve,

electrical circuit means connecting said relay and said first electrovalve, so that the drop in pressure in the detection column corresponding to the drop in the level of water in the bowl causes the opening of the first electrovalve and allows the fresh water to be supplied in the bowl, the rise in pressure detected by the manostat at a determined value further to the rise of water in the detection column and the bowl causes the opening of the electrical feed circuit of said first electrovalve so as to close it and to stop the supply of fresh water to the bowl.

3. A toilet according to claim 1 wherein the bowl comprises an auxiliary water inlet opening out slightly below the level of the water in reserve in the bowl, this auxiliary water inlet opening into the bowl in a substantially tangential direction, being adapted to initiate a peripheral stream along the inside wall of said bowl, so as to facilitate the evacuation of the waste matter suspended in the water.

4. A toilet according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly raised part of the evacuation pipe is associated with an S-bend extending said upwardly raised part so as to form a siphon, the lower level of the siphon being sufficiently high to enable a reserve of water to be maintained in the bowl, the water evacuation means being constituted by a water discharge nozzle situated at the base of said upwardly raised part of the evacuation pipe and adapted to direct a jet of water substantially in the axis of said raised part,

a water feed pipe connecting said nozzle to the main water supply,

valve means controling the feed of water to the nozzle and the discharge of water by said nozzle being adapted to raise the level of water in said upward part of the evacuation pipe up to the level of said siphon and so to initiate the suction phenomenon of the siphon and to cause the complete evacuation of the reserve water from the bowl.

5. A toilet according to claim 4 wherein said valve means controlling the feed of water to the nozzle is a second electrovalve, the control member likely to be actuated-by the user to control the action of the evacuation means is a contactor of the push-button type, the

toilet comprising further electrical circuit means interconnecting said contactor and said second electrovalve, the action of the user on the contactor being capable of opening the electrovalve and allowing a jet of additional water to be discharged through the nozzle, thus allowing the suction phenomenon of the siphon to be initiated and the reserve water to be evacuated from the bowl.

6. A toilet according to claim 3, wherein it comprises a third electrovalve connecting said auxiliary water inlet to the water supply pipe, this third electrovalve being coupled to the second electrovalve controlling the discharge of the nozzle, said second and third electrovalves being subjected to the action of said control member.

7. A toilet according to claim 6, wherein said control member is situated behind the seat and it comprises an electrical contactor of the push-button type, adapted to be put in active position by the pressure exerted on the push-button by the user and ensuring the closure of the circuit of the second and third electrovalves thus controlling the feed of water to the nozzle initiating the siphon phenomenon, and to the auxiliary water inlet within the bowl.

8. A toilet according to claim 1 wherein said evacuation means are constituted by an electrical grinder adapted to reduce the suspended waste matter in the reserve water to the fluid state and to evacuate the mixture through the evacuation pipe,

at time switch device adapted to control the actuation of said grinder and circuit means connecting said time switch device to said control members. 

1. A toilet comprising a bowl an evacuation pipe associated with said bowl, said evacuation pipe comprising an upwardly raised part enabling a reserve of water to be maintained in said bowl, the reserve being sufficient to ensure the evacuation of the waste matter without more water having to be added, evacuation means situated in the transition zone between the bottom of the bowl and the evacuation pipe, said evacuation means being adapted to cause the reserve of water and the waste matter to be discharged towards the evacuation pipe, control member likely to be actuated by the user and adapted to control the action of said evacuation means, water inlet adapted to discharge fresh water into said bowl closure valve associated with said water inlet detection means adapted to check the level of the water into said bowl and remote control means interconnecting said detection means and said closure valve and adapted to command the flow of fresh water through said closure valve as long as the level of the wateR into said bowl is under a predetermined height.
 2. A toilet according to claim 1 wherein it comprises further a column the base of which is in communication with the bottom of the bowl, the liquid contained in the bowl thus being placed in communication with the liquid penetrating in said column, a manostat placed at the upper part of said column, said manostat being sensitive to the changes in pressure produced in the gaseous phase located in the upper part of the column further to the drop or rise in the level of water in this latter, an electrical relay associated with said manostat, a first electrovalve forming said closure valve, electrical circuit means connecting said relay and said first electrovalve, so that the drop in pressure in the detection column corresponding to the drop in the level of water in the bowl causes the opening of the first electrovalve and allows the fresh water to be supplied in the bowl, the rise in pressure detected by the manostat at a determined value further to the rise of water in the detection column and the bowl causes the opening of the electrical feed circuit of said first electrovalve so as to close it and to stop the supply of fresh water to the bowl
 3. A toilet according to claim 1 wherein the bowl comprises an auxiliary water inlet opening out slightly below the level of the water in reserve in the bowl, this auxiliary water inlet opening into the bowl in a substantially tangential direction, being adapted to initiate a peripheral stream along the inside wall of said bowl, so as to facilitate the evacuation of the waste matter suspended in the water.
 4. A toilet according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly raised part of the evacuation pipe is associated with an S-bend extending said upwardly raised part so as to form a siphon, the lower level of the siphon being sufficiently high to enable a reserve of water to be maintained in the bowl, the water evacuation means being constituted by a water discharge nozzle situated at the base of said upwardly raised part of the evacuation pipe and adapted to direct a jet of water substantially in the axis of said raised part, a water feed pipe connecting said nozzle to the main water supply, valve means controling the feed of water to the nozzle and the discharge of water by said nozzle being adapted to raise the level of water in said upward part of the evacuation pipe up to the level of said siphon and so to initiate the suction phenomenon of the siphon and to cause the complete evacuation of the reserve water from the bowl.
 5. A toilet according to claim 4 wherein said valve means controlling the feed of water to the nozzle is a second electrovalve, the control member likely to be actuated by the user to control the action of the evacuation means is a contactor of the push-button type, the toilet comprising further electrical circuit means interconnecting said contactor and said second electrovalve, the action of the user on the contactor being capable of opening the electrovalve and allowing a jet of additional water to be discharged through the nozzle, thus allowing the suction phenomenon of the siphon to be initiated and the reserve water to be evacuated from the bowl.
 6. A toilet according to claim 3, wherein it comprises a third electrovalve connecting said auxiliary water inlet to the water supply pipe, this third electrovalve being coupled to the second electrovalve controlling the discharge of the nozzle, said second and third electrovalves being subjected to the action of said control member.
 7. A toilet according to claim 6, wherein said control member is situated behind the seat and it comprises an electrical contactor of the push-button type, adapted to be put in active position by the pressure exerted on the push-button by the user and ensuring the closure of the circuit of the second and third electrovalves thus controlling the feed of water to the nozzle initiating the siphon phenomenon, and to the auxiliary water inLet within the bowl.
 8. A toilet according to claim 1 wherein said evacuation means are constituted by an electrical grinder adapted to reduce the suspended waste matter in the reserve water to the fluid state and to evacuate the mixture through the evacuation pipe, a time switch device adapted to control the actuation of said grinder and circuit means connecting said time switch device to said control members. 